For immediate release
Gatineau, Quebec, May 28, 2010 - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, and Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, today announced that the Government will undertake a third build-to-lease office tower project at 30 Victoria Street in Gatineau, Quebec.
"Through this important construction project, the Government will support the creation of an additional 500 construction-related jobs," said Minister Ambrose. "We are making strategic investments to stimulate the economy-both now and for the long term."
"The three construction projects announced this month are extremely positive for the Outaouais region," said Minister Cannon. "In all, they will create around 1,500 construction-related jobs and will be a real boon for local services, restaurants and stores."
Public Works and Government Services Canada is committed to excellence in the design and development of its sites, buildings and leased accommodation. The Department will ensure these buildings are designed and constructed in an environmentally responsible manner that includes meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards.
Further information can be found in the attached Backgrounder.
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Ce texte est également disponible en français.
For further information please contact:
Chris Hilton
Office of Minister Ambrose
819-997-5421
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
An electronic file for the building rendering is available at: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/gp-pg/2010-05-28-00-eng.html
PWGSC news releases are also available on our Internet site at: http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/index-eng.html.
Savings for Canadians
Undertaking build-to-lease projects in Gatineau makes economic sense for Canadians. Not only will it enable the Government to benefit from excellent lease rates, it will:
- Decrease the demand for office space in Ottawa's downtown core, which will create a more balanced real estate market and enable PWGSC to obtain better conditions during future lease negotiations.
- Enable PWGSC to accelerate redevelopment and major renovation projects, which will reduce overall project costs.
- Consolidate employees of departments whose operations are currently divided between different locations, helping the Government operate more efficiently and cost effectively.
- Enable PWGSC to accommodate as many departments as possible that need to be close to Ottawa's downtown core, while paying competitive lease rates.
Meeting the 75:25 Office Space Target
Upon completion of the build-to-lease office towers at 22 Eddy Street, 455 boulevard de la Carrière and 30 Victoria Street, the Government will have achieved the 75:25 office space distribution target for Ottawa and Gatineau, respectively. Without constructing the third project (30 Victoria Street), the Government would have remained 40,000 square metres short of its target.
The 40,000-square-metre shortfall would have been due to the limited availability of suitable office space in Gatineau, where the Government already leases approximately 80 percent of existing space. In recent years, as federal space requirements arose, PWGSC has had to lease more space in Ottawa than in Gatineau.
A fortuitous solution to PWGSC's space challenges resulted from the 2009–2010 tender process for a build-to-lease tower in Gatineau's central business district. The second-ranked offer was extremely close to the winning offer and the developer met all the same requirements set out in the tender document. The 2009 Request for Information (RFI) and internal research have shown that the developer's building site, located at 30 Victoria Street, is the only suitable site available in the required area, for a development of the required size within the set timeframe.
PWGSC succeeded in negotiating a build-to-lease contract at the same annual lease rate as for the project at 22 Eddy Street. By doing so, the department avoided the need to undertake a new and costly tender process for a third building, which would have created a delay of 14 to 18 months.
The Project
Address: 30 Victoria Street
Approximate size*: 41,872 rentable square metres; 16 floors
Approximate number of federal employees: 2,200
Move-in complete: June 1, 2013
Name(s) of federal tenant(s): to be determined
Name of developer: 3340848 Canada Inc. (Parent company – Multivesco Inc.)
Annual lease rate: $11,700,000
Lease terms: 25 years; the Government will have the option to purchase the building and land for one dollar at the end of the lease
Previously Announced Projects
22 Eddy Street Approximate size*: 41,872 rentable square metres; 15 floors
Approximate number of federal employees: 2,200
Annual lease rate: $11,700,000
455 Boulevard de la Carrière
Approximate size*: 36,694 rentable square metres; 12 floors
Approximate number of federal employees: 1,900
Annual lease rate: $8,530,000
* The figures provided here are approximate and will be confirmed upon building completion through final measurements.
This project is consistent with PWGSC's Good Neighbour Policy which states that "PWGSC, as a custodian of real property assets and provider of accommodation to federal departments, shall ensure that consideration is given to local plans and priorities in the delivery of the federal real property program for the provision of office and general purpose space." The project supports the City of Gatineau's goal of encouraging the development of government office buildings in this part of its downtown core.
